Newcastle and Hunter Hall Of Famer Paul Perry, who has 27 winners in the first four months of the season, has talented filly Bakerloo lining up in the final event at Saturday's Newcastle meeting.
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The three-year old, a daughter of Perry-trained group 1 winner The Mission, will run in the 1600m benchmark 64 handicap.
Bakerloo has no speed but is a powerful finisher with a sound record on the Newcastle course proper. From four starts on her home track, the filly has a win and two placings and she was a winner on the Beaumont track two starts back. Bakerloo's past three starts have resulted in two wins and a nose second.
This will be her first run over a mile but she has indicated that she is crying out for the longer trip.
Last start, Bakerloo ambled out of the barriers in a Scone 1400m class 3 and was three lengths behind second last at one stage. When she got to the outside of the field at the top of the straight she stormed home to finish second, a nose behind the smart Point Bosse.
She came from way back to win on the Beaumont track two starts ago and did likewise on the Newcastle course proper three starts back. Perry has engaged in-form jockey Amy McLucas, who claims two kilograms.
The legendary trainer has four runners at the meeting and Mikki Isle filly Willingale has a good chance in the class 1 handicap (900m). She is a last-start Newcastle winner of a super maiden over this trip on November 4. Two starts back, Willingale was nailed on the post again on this track. McLucas has the mount.
Chris Waller has a filly bred to be a star in the 1600m super maiden. I Am Smiling, a daughter of I Am Invincible and Lucia Valentina, made her debut in a Rosehill super maiden (1400m) on November 15 and beat one home.
The three-year-old is fitter this time, and up to the mile, she will relish the tough run home. Waller, when interviewed by Sky Racing before her only start, said I Am Smiling wanted more ground. Luca Valentina won three group 1s for Kris Lees, including an unbelievable win in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick.
Ron Quinton's speedy filly Watch My Girl is in good form and from a suitable barrier is the one to beat in the 1400m class 1 midway handicap. The daughter of Maurice was strong late to win at Gosford first-up on November 2, then last start she led to the closing stages when runner-up at Newcastle behind Shuri. Another jockey enjoying a successful season, Jean Van Overmeire has the mount.
Van Overmeire also rides the James Cummings-trained Restonica, which resumes in the 1200m maiden plate. He was only 2.19 lengths from Extreme Spirit on debut in a Kensington two-year-old race in February. The colt was 1.79 lengths behind Kintyre on this track in March and last start he was runner-up at Gosford on March 16.
Annulus is fitter for two starts from a spell and is well placed in the provincial benchmark 68 handicap (1200m). He came from last when beaten 1.32 lengths at Gosford second-up on November 14. At Newcastle, Annulus has had nine starts for a win and four placings. Talented apprentice Anna Roper claims three kilograms.
